Astronomers Watched a Massive Star Just… Disappear. Now JWST Might Have Some Answers
In 2009, astronomers watched a bizarre mystery unfold. An enormous star, with 25 times the mass of the Sun, faded…
New Horizons is Funded Through the Decade. Enough to Explore Another Kuiper Belt Object
The ongoing saga of the New Horizons mission—will it get truncated and its science team disbanded?—may have some resolution. Dr.…
It's Confirmed. M87's Black Hole is Actually Spinning
The supermassive black hole at the heart of M87 was the target of the Event Horizon Telescope, revealing the area…
What’s the Link Between Gamma Ray Bursts and Supernovae? It Might Be Binary Stars
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are some of the most violent events in the universe. Some have a power output equivalent to…
Astronomers are Working to Put a Radio Telescope on the Far Side of the Moon by 2025
Technicians at Berkeley Lab are building an experiment that will conduct radio astronomy on the far side of the Moon…
Supernovae Struck the Earth 3 Million and 7 Million Years Ago
A recent study examines how the Earth was hit by blasts from supernovae (plural form of supernova (SN)) that occurred…
The World's Largest Radio Telescope has Scanned Barnard's Star for Extraterrestrial Signals
Barnard's Star is the second closest star system to Earth, at a distance of 5.96 light-years. It's another red dwarf…
Let the Robot Take the Wheel. Autonomous Navigation in Space
Tracking spacecraft as they traverse deep space isn't easy. So far, it's been done manually, with operators of NASA's Deep…
The Milky Way's Mass is Much Lower Than We Thought
How massive is the Milky Way? According to a new study using data from ESA's Gaia spacecraft, less than we…
Since Aliens Obey the Laws of Physics, Can We Guess What They Look Like?
Since time immemorial, humans have gazed up at the stars and wondered if we’re alone in the universe. We have…